Replaceable foundation vent

ABSTRACT

The replaceable foundation vent has a mounting frame and a plurality of vent components, including a screen, ventilation plate, and a slider. The ventilation components are removably attachable to the mounting frame using fasteners. The mounting frame has a built in lintel, the entire frame being adapted for permanent mounting in an opening in a block, brick or frame foundation wall. Overhanging portions of the frame lintel rest atop foundation wall members laterally disposed on either side of the frame. Additional foundation wall members can be disposed on top of the lintel to seal off the initial top opening. By releasing/removing the fasteners, the vent components can easily be removed from the mounting frame for repairs to the vent when necessary.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to foundation vents, and more particularly to a replaceable ventilation vent having a permanently installed mounting frame.

2. Description of the Related Art

Foundation ventilators are required by building codes at spaced locations for moisture control among other reasons. Such ventilators preferably include a means for opening and a means for closing the air passageway so that air flow can be increased during the warm season to minimize trapped moisture inside the foundation and air flow can be minimized during the cold season to minimize heat loss during colder periods.

Foundation ventilators are usually installed in the openings provided in the foundation wall by applying mortar around the perimeter of the ventilation unit once it is positioned in the opening. Such an installation method is accompanied by many problems in that the application of mortar around the ventilation unit perimeter may not be precise, resulting in messy residue that must be cleaned up, eating up valuable construction time. Moreover, the application of mortar around joints requires a high degree of skill in the artisan.

The aforementioned installation method results in a permanent installation that defies easy repair or replacement, in that the mortar must be chipped away from the opening using hammer and chisel or the like. The very process of striking at the mortar may result in inadvertent permanent damage to the ventilation unit, instead of the repair that was sought.

Thus, a replaceable foundation vent solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The replaceable foundation vent comprises a mounting frame and a vent having a plurality of ventilation components, including a screen, a stationary ventilation plate, and a slider. The ventilation components are removably attachable to the mounting frame using fasteners. The mounting frame has a built-in lintel, the entire frame being adapted for mounting in an opening in a block, brick or frame foundation wall. Overhanging portions of the frame lintel rest atop foundation wall members laterally disposed on either side of the frame. Additional foundation wall members can be disposed on top of the lintel to seal off the initial top opening. Frame and vent function in the same manner as older styled unitarily constructed vents. By releasing/removing the fasteners, the ventilation components can easily be removed from the mounting frame for repairs to the vent when necessary.

These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a mounting frame of a replaceable foundation vent according to the present invention.

FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the replaceable foundation vent according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded, perspective view of the replaceable foundation vent according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a section view along the lines 3-3 of FIG. 1A, the environmental features being omitted.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIGS. 1A-3, the present invention relates to a replaceable foundation vent 5 that comprises a mounting frame 60, the mounting frame having respective opposing pairs of interconnected substantially horizontal and substantially vertical frame members defining a generally rectangular opening. Additionally, a plurality of vent components, including ventilation plate 50, slider panel 40, and screen 70, are removably attachable to the mounting frame 60 using fasteners, such as exemplary fasteners S. Fasteners S may be threaded, although unthreaded fasteners are also contemplated. As most clearly shown in FIGS. 1B and 2, the ventilation plate 50 and slider panel 40 are substantially rectangular, planar plates having complementary rectangular slots or gratings that allow for the regulation of airflow through the ventilation plate 50 as the slider panel 40 is slidably adjusted within the mounting frame 60. It should be understood, however, that the rectangular configuration of the gratings shown is merely exemplary, and the gratings may have other geometrical configurations that also function to regulate airflow through them. The screen 70 is a substantially planar mesh that may be wire or other suitable material to keep debris, bugs and animals out while allowing airflow through the screen 70. The top, substantially horizontal frame member of mounting frame 60 forms a lintel 80, the lintel 80 having end portions that overhang transversely from the vertical frame members.

As shown in FIG. 3, support ribs 65 are formed along the inside of frame 60 along the rear edges of the lower member 64 and side members 62 of the frame 60 and extend into the opening defined by the frame 60. An upper support rib 67 coplanar with support ribs 65 is medially located on lintel 80, providing a reinforcing rib to help support the weight from bricks B that bear down on the lintel 80. A lower flange or lip 110 extends downward from the bottom leg 64 of mounting frame 60. and can be used to align the bottom of frame 60 in mortar disposed on the lower supporting bricks in the foundation wall.

Referring to FIGS. 1A and 3, rear support ribs 65 form a plurality of inwardly directed peripheral mounting flanges that constrain vent components in the opening defined by frame 60. Vent retaining bores 10 are defined in the support ribs 65 of mounting frame 60. The screen 70 and ventilation plate 50 can be aligned to abut with the support ribs 65 for removable attachment to the mounting frame 60 by retaining fasteners S, which engage the vent retaining bores 10.

During the manufacturing process, the slider 40 is aligned inside front portion of ventilation plate 50. Slider panel retaining tabs 20 are welded or otherwise affixed to and extend inward from upper and lower portions of the ventilation plate 50 to slidably constrain the slider panel 40 inside the ventilation plate 50. A handle 30 is vertically disposed on the slider panel 40, the handle 30 being used to grab and slide the slider panel 40 to a desired position, thereby regulating air flow through the ventilation plate 50.

The entire frame 60 is adapted for mounting in an opening in a foundation wall having block or bricks B. Overhanging portions 90 of lintel 80 can rest atop foundation wall blocks B laterally disposed on either side of frame 60 for support. Additional foundation wall members can be disposed on top of lintel 80 to seal off the initial top opening. Frame 60 and vent 5 function in the same manner as older style unitarily constructed vents. By releasing/removing the fasteners S, the vent assembly, comprising screen 70, ventilation plate 50 and slider panel 40, can easily be removed from mounting frame 60 for repairs when necessary.

Moreover, the vent assembly 5 may be fitted with accessories, such as ventilation fans, slider control motors, bi-metallic slider control elements, solar panels or solar cells to power control elements for the vent 5, and the like.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims. 

1. A replaceable foundation vent, comprising: a substantially rectangular vent plate having a plurality of gratings, the plurality of gratings forming air ventilation passageways; a mounting frame adapted for permanent mounting in a foundation wall of a building, the mounting frame having a bottom wall, opposing sidewalls, and a top wall defining a rectangular vent opening, the top wall of the frame overhanging the sidewalls and extending deeper rearward than the bottom wall and the sidewalls so that the top wall of the frame defines a lintel; a plurality of substantially coplanar support ribs extending into the opening defined by the frame, including a bottom support rib and opposing side ribs extending from a rear edge of the bottom wall and opposing sidewalls, respectively of the frame, and a top support rib extending medially from the lintel, the support ribs forming an inwardly directed peripheral mounting flange for the vent plate, the support ribs having a plurality of bores defined therein; and a plurality of fasteners removably attaching the vent plate to the peripheral mounting flanges of the mounting frame, the fasteners engaging the bores.
 2. The replaceable foundation vent according to claim 1, wherein the fasteners comprise threaded fasteners, the threaded fasteners engaging the bores defined in the mounting flanges.
 3. The replaceable foundation vent according to claim 1, further comprising a lower flange extending downward from the bottom wall of said frame, the lower flange forming a lip adapted for aligning the bottom of said frame in mortar on supporting foundation bricks of the foundation wall.
 4. The replaceable foundation vent according to claim 1, further comprising: a screen removably attached to a rear portion of the ventilation plate; and a slider slidably attached to a front portion of the ventilation plate, the slider having complementary gratings to the ventilation plate gratings, the complementary gratings regulating airflow through the ventilation plate according to a slidable position of the slider.
 5. The replaceable foundation vent according to claim 4, further comprising a plurality of inwardly directed tabs disposed along a periphery of the ventilation plate, the tabs retaining the slider in slidable contact with the mounting frame.
 6. The replaceable foundation vent according to claim 4, further comprising a handle affixed to and extending outwardly from the slider, the handle providing a grabbing surface for user operation of the slider. 